Between 1944 and his death in 2005. Robert Irby Clarke appeared 199 times in either "B" motion pictures, or television programs not including with his wife Alice King on "The King Family Show", I am not going into all of these appearances, but will concentrate on some of those "Classic (?)" Science Fiction and Horror roles.
Robert Clarke was born on June 1, 1920 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Like myself he developed a love of motion pictures at a very early age, but decided upon a military career. He had tried high school acting, but had a major case of stage fright and as a result decided against acting. However, events sometimes choose our course and with the outbreak of World War 2 Clarke found himself classified 4F, because of his acute asthma.
Now not being able to enter his desired career in the military Robert Clarke returned to College. First at the University of Oklahoma where he once again took up acting. To avoid his stage fright he began performing in the University's Radio Plays. Clarke increased his education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Where the young man finally overcame his stage fright as he appeared in student plays.
By this time Robert Clarke's love of motion pictures had become so great that he made the decision not to graduate. The student actor thumbed his way from the mid-west to Hollywood, California. His mind not set on trying his luck in the motion picture industry. Clarke had screen tests with both 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures, but was unsuccessful getting work there. However, his test at RKO proved otherwise and a "B" Actor's career began in 1944.
Robert Clarke's first role was that of an "Assistant Film Director" in the movie "The Falcon in Hollywood". The picture was part of the RKO detective film series about the character of Tom Lawrence aka: "The Falcon". The budget is reflected in the fact that all RKO had to do was move their actors from one location to another within the studio to film the picture.
Clarke's fourth role was in a comedy horror movie with the interesting title of "Zombies On Broadway" which co-starred Bela Lugosi.
The new film actor's role was as a character with the telling name of "Wimp". Look at a complete list of those appearing in the film. You will find Robert Clarke listed 14th and was also the 3rd name in those appearing without screen credit. For my fellow fans of Val Lewton, believe it or not, this comedy entry was a sequel to Lewton's "I Walk With A Zombie" without his involvement. It starred RKO"s low budget answer to Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, Wally Brown and Alan Carney, Who were billed before Bela Lugosi.
Speaking of Val Lewton, Robert Clarke played a "Medical Student" in 1946's "The Body Snatcher" based upon the Robert Lewis Stevenson story starring Boris Karloff. From a horror point of view this was the final film to team up Karloff with Bela Lugosi and was directed by Robert Wise.
My article "Val Lewton: Master of Subtle Terror and Horror" can be found at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2015/10/val-lewton-master-of-subtle-terror-and.html
1945 saw Robert Clarke in other minor roles, mostly without screen credit, in pictures such as "Back to Bataan" starring John Wayne and Anthony Quinn and "First Yank in Tokyo" which he also narrated. Also in 1945 RKO decided to remake "The Most Dangerous Game". This story of a big game hunter tracking human prey originally was filmed by Merian C. Cooper for the studio in 1932 starring Fay Wray and Joel McCrea. In the Robert Wise directed motion picture, "A Game of Death", Robert Clarke had the role of "The Helmsmen".
Two motion pictures later and Robert Clarke was back in 1946 acting for Val Lewton as "Dan the Dog" in the Boris Karloff vehicle "Bedlam".
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28 roles followed "Bedlam" in such features as 1947 "The Farmers Daughter" starring Loretta Young and Joseph Cotton. Robert Clarke was the non screen credited role of the "Assistant Radio Announcer". The same year he was in "Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome" starring Ralph Byrd and Boris Karloff. Once again without screen credit as "Fred the Police Analyst". Clarke played "Dave", with on screen credit and 20th billed, in Randolph Scott and Robert Ryan's 1948 western "The Return of the Bad Men",
Then came 1950.
First Robert Clarke appeared on the new medium of television. This was on "Magnavox Theater", sponsored by the television set maker, of "The Three Musketeers" portraying D"Artagnan. That live performance probably reached more viewers than all his films to date.
There is no doubt in my mind that Robert Clarke, Margaret Field and William Schallert had any idea that their low budget Science Fiction feature would be a "Cult Classic", or become as famous as it did.
The 1951 "The Man from Planet X" was estimated to have a complete cost of $51,000 dollars by United Artists accounting when all factors were taken into consideration. Today, in 2017, that would be $521,738 dollars. Not very much by today film production costs, but in 1951 the picture also made $1.2 million dollars, or today $12,276,203 dollars. A nice profit margin for any feature film.
One of the initial reasons for the films success was the publicity department's work. Note in the poster below the three actors are listed and then afterwards the potential viewer reads:
and the
STRANGE MAN
FROM PLANET X!
The story was set on the Scottish Moors and to save money the production company used sets from the 1948 "Joan of Arc" that had starred Ingrid Bergman. To change the look fog was used and the shots were basically at night. Adding the fog and shooting in black and white worked very well to create an eerie feeling to the production.
Robert Clarke portrayed American reporter John Lawrence. Lawrence is invited to Scotland by his friend Professor Elliot played by Raymond Bond. Elliot has discovered Planet X and also that an alien space craft has landed out on the moor.
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Elliot and Lawrence discover the space man and attempt to communicate, but without success.
Meanwhile the Professor's assistant Dr. Mears, William Schallet, not only figures out how to communicate, but he wants to know the secret of the space craft's metal. The alien will not give him the information and Mears in retaliation shuts off the alien's breathing apparatus leaving it for dead.
Lawrence discovers the alien is missing along with the Professor's daughter Enid, Margaret Field, and the local Constables tells him also many of the villagers. They are all discovered under the control of "The Man from Planet X". However, when a Scotland Yard Inspector and his assistant arrive and are informed of the alien and the missing villagers. A decision is made to destroy the alien and his spacecraft at the cost of the people under it's control.
Lawrence wants to rescue Enid and the villagers and is given a time limit ending at 11 PM. As it has been discovered that the alien's home planet will come very close to Earth at midnight and the alien is an advance scout for an invasion. "The Man from Planet X" has used the captured people to increase protection and assist in making changes to his space craft. Thereby turning it into a relay station to bring his people to Earth.
Lawrence succeeds in rescuing everyone, but Mears is killed when the space craft is blown up along with the alien.
The planet comes extremely close to the Earth. While in fear of what could still happen from it Lawrence and Enid watch it pass.
Don't look for realism as the alien's planet comes within what seems only a few miles of colliding with the Scottish Moors, but go with it. The movie is really well written by Audrey Wisberg and Jack Pollexfen for the year it was made. The two are the pictures producers also.
A quick appearance on a television series and Robert Clarke was Robin Hood.
Followed by six more movie appearances making Robert Clarke's output for 1951 eight motion picture appearances and one on television.
1952 started out with a movie set in Cuba entitled "The Fabulous Senorita" and an appearance in an episode of "The Long Ranger" and then Clarke was back in Science Fiction. The motion picture was originally entitled "1,000 Years from Now", but is more commonly referred too by it's re-release name of "Captive Women".
I also look at this motion picture in by article about the Nuclear War Science Fiction
motion pictures of the 1950's. The full article can be found at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2017/05/nuclear-holocaust-and-post-apocalyptic.html
The story takes place after a nuclear holocaust has destroyed the Earth and the year now is 3,000 A.D.
New York City and its surrounding area has been divided into three areas containing three different groups of human descendants from the nuclear war. "The Norm's" are the descendants of human's were survived unaffected by the radiation and live in what was once the subway system. "The River People" are also normal humans, but live in the countryside and have become hunters. The last group are "The Mutants" who are descended from those affected by the radiation and still show some signs of being mutated. They also have a problem of babies being either born still, or also somewhat mutated.
Robert Clarke portrayed "Robert" the leader of "The Norms", Margaret Field played a "Norm" women named "Ruth" and Ron Randall is "The Mutant" leader Riddon. William Schallert is also in this film as the evil Mutate Carver who wants to take over their tribe.
The basic story has "The Mutates" capture some "Norm" women including Ruth. Robert seeks help from "The River People" to rescue them. Meanwhile Carver attempts to take control of his tribe and is banished by Riddon. Carver makes a deal with his counter part among "The Norms" Gordon. Carver will lead him to Riddon and in turn Carver will help Gordon take over his tribe.
In the end both villains are killed and peace is made between all three branches of men. This includes the "Norm" women Ruth having fallen in love for the "Mutate" leader Riddon and the two are married starting a new chapter for humanity.
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The film was produced by the same team who made "The Man from Planet X".
1953 through 1956 saw Robert Clarke appearing mostly on television series such as "Science Fiction Theater", "The Pepsi-Cola Theater", "The Cisco Kid" and even "Lassie". During this period Clarke played the character of "Rolfe" in 1953's "Captain John Smith and Pocahontas" starring Anthony Dexter and Jody Lawrence and :Manuel Aszaga" in 1954's "The Black Pirates" also starring Dexter and featuring Lon Chaney, Jr.
Robert Clarke did actually star in one motion picture during this time the "Sword of Venus" playing the son of "The Count of Monte Cristo". Once again the picture had been made by the team of Jack Pollexfen and Aubrey Wisberg, but Margaret Field was not in it. The leading lady was Catherine McLeod. However, playing "Valmont" was William Schallert.
In 1956 Robert Clarke married Alyce King of the "King Sisters". The Sister's were a popular 1940's "Big Band Era" group. The following photo is of the Sisters from that Era. Alyce is on the far left.
Robert Clarke was born on June 1, 1920 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Like myself he developed a love of motion pictures at a very early age, but decided upon a military career. He had tried high school acting, but had a major case of stage fright and as a result decided against acting. However, events sometimes choose our course and with the outbreak of World War 2 Clarke found himself classified 4F, because of his acute asthma.
Now not being able to enter his desired career in the military Robert Clarke returned to College. First at the University of Oklahoma where he once again took up acting. To avoid his stage fright he began performing in the University's Radio Plays. Clarke increased his education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Where the young man finally overcame his stage fright as he appeared in student plays.
By this time Robert Clarke's love of motion pictures had become so great that he made the decision not to graduate. The student actor thumbed his way from the mid-west to Hollywood, California. His mind not set on trying his luck in the motion picture industry. Clarke had screen tests with both 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures, but was unsuccessful getting work there. However, his test at RKO proved otherwise and a "B" Actor's career began in 1944.
Robert Clarke's first role was that of an "Assistant Film Director" in the movie "The Falcon in Hollywood". The picture was part of the RKO detective film series about the character of Tom Lawrence aka: "The Falcon". The budget is reflected in the fact that all RKO had to do was move their actors from one location to another within the studio to film the picture.
Clarke's fourth role was in a comedy horror movie with the interesting title of "Zombies On Broadway" which co-starred Bela Lugosi.
The new film actor's role was as a character with the telling name of "Wimp". Look at a complete list of those appearing in the film. You will find Robert Clarke listed 14th and was also the 3rd name in those appearing without screen credit. For my fellow fans of Val Lewton, believe it or not, this comedy entry was a sequel to Lewton's "I Walk With A Zombie" without his involvement. It starred RKO"s low budget answer to Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, Wally Brown and Alan Carney, Who were billed before Bela Lugosi.
Speaking of Val Lewton, Robert Clarke played a "Medical Student" in 1946's "The Body Snatcher" based upon the Robert Lewis Stevenson story starring Boris Karloff. From a horror point of view this was the final film to team up Karloff with Bela Lugosi and was directed by Robert Wise.
My article "Val Lewton: Master of Subtle Terror and Horror" can be found at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2015/10/val-lewton-master-of-subtle-terror-and.html
1945 saw Robert Clarke in other minor roles, mostly without screen credit, in pictures such as "Back to Bataan" starring John Wayne and Anthony Quinn and "First Yank in Tokyo" which he also narrated. Also in 1945 RKO decided to remake "The Most Dangerous Game". This story of a big game hunter tracking human prey originally was filmed by Merian C. Cooper for the studio in 1932 starring Fay Wray and Joel McCrea. In the Robert Wise directed motion picture, "A Game of Death", Robert Clarke had the role of "The Helmsmen".
Two motion pictures later and Robert Clarke was back in 1946 acting for Val Lewton as "Dan the Dog" in the Boris Karloff vehicle "Bedlam".
a28 roles followed "Bedlam" in such features as 1947 "The Farmers Daughter" starring Loretta Young and Joseph Cotton. Robert Clarke was the non screen credited role of the "Assistant Radio Announcer". The same year he was in "Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome" starring Ralph Byrd and Boris Karloff. Once again without screen credit as "Fred the Police Analyst". Clarke played "Dave", with on screen credit and 20th billed, in Randolph Scott and Robert Ryan's 1948 western "The Return of the Bad Men",
Then came 1950.
First Robert Clarke appeared on the new medium of television. This was on "Magnavox Theater", sponsored by the television set maker, of "The Three Musketeers" portraying D"Artagnan. That live performance probably reached more viewers than all his films to date.
There is no doubt in my mind that Robert Clarke, Margaret Field and William Schallert had any idea that their low budget Science Fiction feature would be a "Cult Classic", or become as famous as it did.
The 1951 "The Man from Planet X" was estimated to have a complete cost of $51,000 dollars by United Artists accounting when all factors were taken into consideration. Today, in 2017, that would be $521,738 dollars. Not very much by today film production costs, but in 1951 the picture also made $1.2 million dollars, or today $12,276,203 dollars. A nice profit margin for any feature film.
One of the initial reasons for the films success was the publicity department's work. Note in the poster below the three actors are listed and then afterwards the potential viewer reads:
and the
STRANGE MAN
FROM PLANET X!
The story was set on the Scottish Moors and to save money the production company used sets from the 1948 "Joan of Arc" that had starred Ingrid Bergman. To change the look fog was used and the shots were basically at night. Adding the fog and shooting in black and white worked very well to create an eerie feeling to the production.
Robert Clarke portrayed American reporter John Lawrence. Lawrence is invited to Scotland by his friend Professor Elliot played by Raymond Bond. Elliot has discovered Planet X and also that an alien space craft has landed out on the moor.
Elliot and Lawrence discover the space man and attempt to communicate, but without success.
Meanwhile the Professor's assistant Dr. Mears, William Schallet, not only figures out how to communicate, but he wants to know the secret of the space craft's metal. The alien will not give him the information and Mears in retaliation shuts off the alien's breathing apparatus leaving it for dead.
Lawrence discovers the alien is missing along with the Professor's daughter Enid, Margaret Field, and the local Constables tells him also many of the villagers. They are all discovered under the control of "The Man from Planet X". However, when a Scotland Yard Inspector and his assistant arrive and are informed of the alien and the missing villagers. A decision is made to destroy the alien and his spacecraft at the cost of the people under it's control.
Lawrence wants to rescue Enid and the villagers and is given a time limit ending at 11 PM. As it has been discovered that the alien's home planet will come very close to Earth at midnight and the alien is an advance scout for an invasion. "The Man from Planet X" has used the captured people to increase protection and assist in making changes to his space craft. Thereby turning it into a relay station to bring his people to Earth.
Lawrence succeeds in rescuing everyone, but Mears is killed when the space craft is blown up along with the alien.
The planet comes extremely close to the Earth. While in fear of what could still happen from it Lawrence and Enid watch it pass.
Don't look for realism as the alien's planet comes within what seems only a few miles of colliding with the Scottish Moors, but go with it. The movie is really well written by Audrey Wisberg and Jack Pollexfen for the year it was made. The two are the pictures producers also.
A quick appearance on a television series and Robert Clarke was Robin Hood.
Followed by six more movie appearances making Robert Clarke's output for 1951 eight motion picture appearances and one on television.
1952 started out with a movie set in Cuba entitled "The Fabulous Senorita" and an appearance in an episode of "The Long Ranger" and then Clarke was back in Science Fiction. The motion picture was originally entitled "1,000 Years from Now", but is more commonly referred too by it's re-release name of "Captive Women".
I also look at this motion picture in by article about the Nuclear War Science Fiction
motion pictures of the 1950's. The full article can be found at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2017/05/nuclear-holocaust-and-post-apocalyptic.html
The story takes place after a nuclear holocaust has destroyed the Earth and the year now is 3,000 A.D.
New York City and its surrounding area has been divided into three areas containing three different groups of human descendants from the nuclear war. "The Norm's" are the descendants of human's were survived unaffected by the radiation and live in what was once the subway system. "The River People" are also normal humans, but live in the countryside and have become hunters. The last group are "The Mutants" who are descended from those affected by the radiation and still show some signs of being mutated. They also have a problem of babies being either born still, or also somewhat mutated.
Robert Clarke portrayed "Robert" the leader of "The Norms", Margaret Field played a "Norm" women named "Ruth" and Ron Randall is "The Mutant" leader Riddon. William Schallert is also in this film as the evil Mutate Carver who wants to take over their tribe.
The basic story has "The Mutates" capture some "Norm" women including Ruth. Robert seeks help from "The River People" to rescue them. Meanwhile Carver attempts to take control of his tribe and is banished by Riddon. Carver makes a deal with his counter part among "The Norms" Gordon. Carver will lead him to Riddon and in turn Carver will help Gordon take over his tribe.
In the end both villains are killed and peace is made between all three branches of men. This includes the "Norm" women Ruth having fallen in love for the "Mutate" leader Riddon and the two are married starting a new chapter for humanity.
The film was produced by the same team who made "The Man from Planet X".
1953 through 1956 saw Robert Clarke appearing mostly on television series such as "Science Fiction Theater", "The Pepsi-Cola Theater", "The Cisco Kid" and even "Lassie". During this period Clarke played the character of "Rolfe" in 1953's "Captain John Smith and Pocahontas" starring Anthony Dexter and Jody Lawrence and :Manuel Aszaga" in 1954's "The Black Pirates" also starring Dexter and featuring Lon Chaney, Jr.
Robert Clarke did actually star in one motion picture during this time the "Sword of Venus" playing the son of "The Count of Monte Cristo". Once again the picture had been made by the team of Jack Pollexfen and Aubrey Wisberg, but Margaret Field was not in it. The leading lady was Catherine McLeod. However, playing "Valmont" was William Schallert.
In 1956 Robert Clarke married Alyce King of the "King Sisters". The Sister's were a popular 1940's "Big Band Era" group. The following photo is of the Sisters from that Era. Alyce is on the far left.
One year later on November 6, 1957 their son Cameron Arthur "Cam" Clarke was born. You might not know their son's name, but you probably know his voice acting work. Among which Cam created the voices of Leonardo and Rocksteady in the original animated "Teenage Mutant Turtles" and the voice of Shotaro Kaneda in the English dub of the classic anime "AKIRA".
Robert Clarke's next motion picture continued his Science Fiction connection and was 1957's "The Astounding She Monster". This forgotten classic, my tongue is firmly in cheek, had a final budget of $18,000 dollars.
Robert Clarke's next motion picture continued his Science Fiction connection and was 1957's "The Astounding She Monster". This forgotten classic, my tongue is firmly in cheek, had a final budget of $18,000 dollars.
A group of criminals kidnap an heiress and take over the mountain home of Geologist Dick Cutler played by Clarke. A UFO crash lands near the house and an alien resembling a beautiful women comes out of it. The problem is she is highly radioactive and can kill with a single touch.
She does not speak, but makes sounds. The alien women accidentally kills Cutler's dog, but on purpose she kills the kidnappers. "The She Monster" is killed by the Geologist. Who throws a bottle containing chemicals from the Earth's atmosphere that cause her to disintegrate. Don't even think of asking why walking in the Earth's atmosphere didn't already kill her.
A note is found in perfect English inside the necklace the alien women has been wearing. It says she is here to help the planet with its problems. Cutler speculates about how her people will think of the human race now
The next role for Robert Clarke is interesting if for no other reason than who was in it and who wrote this western. The title was "Outlaw Queen".
In the picture Clarke, on the left in the above photo, played John Andrews. In the middle is actress Andrea King, no relation to Alyce, but the female leads in the Peter Lorre horror mystery "The Beast With Five Fingers" and the Peter Graves Cold War thriller "Red Planet Mars". She plays the title character named Christina. The third person in the above still portrayed Rick Mason and is none other than Big Band Leader Harry James. The last interesting point to this long forgotten motion picture is that the story and screenplay were written by Pete La Rouche. Oh, the name Pete La Rouche was the nom de plume of one Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Into 1959 Robert Clarke appeared on single episodes of 14 television series such as "The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok", "Dragnet" for his fifth time since 1953, "Sky King" and "Mike Hammer". His motion picture work wasn't much better, becaue out of nine screen appearances only two had on screen credit.
However, all of this was followed by another Science Fiction feature entitled "The Incredible Petrified World" actually filmed, according to Robert Clarke, in March of 1957. The finished picture was first previewed in Burlington, North Carolina on November 18, 1959 two and a half years after it was filmed. The picture then sat on the shelf until April 1960 when it was released on a double bill with "Teenage Zombies" to only a few States. Later the same double bill would be released on August 30, 1961 in Los Angeles and to more States. It never played in all of the country. Such is the history of a very low budgeted "B" Science Fiction film.
To "B", pun there, fair to this feature. The poster was a thousand times better than what we saw on the screen and did it's job of getting viewers into a theater.
The story revolves around a new experimental diving bell. It's inventor Professor Millard Wyman, played by John Carradine, sends his crew of two men and two women to explore the ocean to depths previously never obtained.
The two men are Craig Randall portrayed by Robert Clarke and Paul Whitmore played by Allen Windsor. Whose name does not even appear on the poster. Windsor's career was a total of four appearances including one on television's "Leave It to Beaver" The two women crew members are Lauri Talbott played by Sheila Noolan. Whose name also does not appear on the poster. Noolan would have five total films to her credit. These included Roger Corman's "Bucket of Blood" and "Beast from Haunted Cave". Phyllis Coates, whose name appears after Carrdine's and above Clarke's, played Dale Marshall. At the time she actually filmed "The Incredible Petrified World" in 1957. Coates had been appearing in several short subjects with titles like "So You Want to Play the Piano" and films such as "Girl's In Prison" which starred Richard Denning. Also that year Phyllis Coates was in "I Was A Teenage Frankenstein" as Dr. Frankenstein's secretary. TV's Lois Lane became lunch for the Doctor's pet alligator.
Naturally something goes wrong and the bell ends up in "The Petrified World" of the title. Can you say "Colossal Cave" in Tucson, Arizona? The crew leave the diving bell in scuba gear after seeing lights and believe they are heading for the surface. Instead come up in a vast underground cavern with breathable air.There they find a giant lizard and a man who has been trapped for the last 14 years.
He explains the breathable air comes from an underwater Volcano. While this is all going on Professor Wyman and others are debating if a rescue mission should be attempted and how.
The following is from IMDb:
The above description sounds a lot more exciting than the actual picture. Also note the following still of John Carradine and the diving bell. With a crew of four how much "supplies" could it hold that required two trips? As apparently they were to be brought up to the surface possibly on the same day of the initial dive. Such is the fun and plot holes of 1950's Science Fiction that the audience ignored.
Two television appearances later and Robert Clarke made the "B" Science Fiction/Horror motion picture he is widely known for "The Hideous Sun Demon". The original story was written by Clarke and the feature film was also co-directed and co-produced by the actor.
"Even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers by night. May become a Wolf when the Wolfbane blooms and the Moon is full and bright". Most fans of classic horror movies know these words written by Curt Siodmak for 1941's "The Wolfman". In "The Hideous Sun Demon" Robert Clarke flipped it with a man that becomes a Lizard in the Sun.
This feature is known by three titles, In the United States and Canada depending on where you saw the feature it was either:
OR:
The plot has Dr. Gilbert McKenna, Robert Clarke, experimenting with a new radioactive isotope and while working with it falls unconscious to the floor. The scientist is rushed to a local hospital and is examined by Dr. Stern, Robert Gerry. Stern is surprised to see no radiation burns on McKenna's body after such exposure. He next informs Gill's co-workers Ann Russell, Patricia Manning, and Dr. Frederick Buckell, Patrick Whyte, that he will keep him under observation.
After apparent recovery Dr. McKenna is taken to a solarium to receive the sun's healing rays. Bad idea! As with a man exposed to the full moon turning into a werewolf. Dr. Gilbert McKenna exposed to the sun's rays turns into a lizard creature.
It is determined that Dr. McKenna's exposure to the radioactive isotope has reverted him back to a prehuman evolutionary reptile state. A similar reversal plot devise was done to Michael Landon in 1957's "I Was A Teenage Werewolf", but by hypnotism and in the 1956 movie "The Werewolf" by a special serum designed to make human's survive an atomic bomb.
In "The Hideous Sun Demon" it is thought that as long as Gil stays out of the sun he will not change, but that means confinement to his home and going out only after dark. This starts effecting his state of mind. Enter Dr. Jacob Hoffman, actor Fred La Porta, who believes he can help Gil stop the transformation.
However,Gil is going "stir crazy" at home. This leaves his house and finds a bar were the piano player Trudy Osbourne, Nan Peterson, is having problems with a patron named George. George claims to have purchased her for the evening. A fight results between the two men and Gill McKenna knocks out George. We next see Trudy and Gill walking the beach together which ends with the two having sex and falling asleep. Gill wakes up on the beach in the sunlight and flees in panic. Being afraid he will become the Sun Demon and might harm Trudy as she asleeps. He just makes it to his house as the transformation begins.
The following night things get out of hand at the bar when George and his friends beat up Dr. McKeena, He had returned to apologize to Trudy for leaving her alone on the beach. The unconscious Gill wakes up in Trudy's apartment as George shows up the following morning and makes one big mistake. He forces McKeena out into the sunlight. The Sun Demon kills George in front of Trudy and flees.
Gill returns to his house to find Dr Hoffman, Dr. Bucknell and Ann waiting for him. After returning to his normal state he admits the murder to the other three.
A Police Officer shows up with an arrest warrant and McKenna, his mental state now unbalanced, flees in his car and hits a another officer. Gill is hiding out in a shack at the oil field. A little girl named Suzy discovers him and she goes home to get him some cookies. Don't ask! Her mother asks what's she doing and Suzy tells her. While her mother calls the police. Suzy slips out and goes to the shack with her cookies. Dr. Gill McKenna realizes the danger she will be in if he changes.
He takes the girl to safety, but has left the darkness of the shack and transforms. This leads to a confrontation with the police and his death.
As far as casting concerns the motion picture was a true "Family Affair". Initially the role of Trudy was to have been played by Robert Clarke's sister-in-law singer Marilyn King. Before shooting began she became pregnant and had to drop out of the role. However, Marilyn wrote and sang Nan Peterson's songs.
The little girl, Xandra Conkling, was actually the daughter of one of Clarke's wife's sisters. Pearl Diggs, who played the old women on the deck of the solarium, see above picture, was Robert Clarke's mother-in-law. The radio announcer heard in the picture was portrayed by the fiance of one of Clarke's sister-in-laws and a newsboy was his nephew.
The motion picture was filmed with rented equipment over a 12 weekend period and Clarke's film crew were made up of USC Film Students. The upfront money for the picture came from of all things "The Astounding She Monster". Robert Clarke had a contract for 10 percent of the gross and the film actually made money.
After the non-screen credited role of a reporter in the James Garner/Natalie Wood film "Cash McCall"in 1960. It was back to appearances on three television shows for the actor followed by another science fiction picture "Beyond the Time Barrier".
The film has an interesting take on the Cold War within a Science Fiction motion picture with a twist at the end. Unfortunately, as with many quickie made movies I watched back then. The budget, or lack of one gets in the way at times. Robert Clarke played Air Force Test Pilot Major William Allison,
He leaves the Air Force base on a routine test flight of a new experimental aircraft, but when he returns after the flight. Allison finds the base deserted and appearing ancient. In the distance is a futuristic looking city and he heads towards it for answers..
This future world contains both apparently normal looking humans and mutated humans, Whose goal is to take over the city Major Allison saw known as "The Citadel", but they have no leadership. Allison is at first imprisoned in a holding cell with some of these mutated humans, All of which are for some reason bald.
After a while Major Allison is taken before the leader of "The Citadel" called "The Supreme". Who along with "The Captain" are the only two people that can still hear and speak within "The Citadel". Everyone else has become mute, but "The Supreme's" daughter Triene, Darlene Tompkins, was also born telepathic.
After Triene reads his mind. Major Allison is released and told the year is now 2024 and that in 1971 a world wide plague was caused by Cosmic Rays being released from Nuclear Testing in the Atmosphere.The result is everyone, but Triene is sterile.
The Cold War aspect of the picture comes in the form Russian Air Force Captain Markova portrayed by Ardianne Ulmer billed as Ardianne Arden. She came through the Time Barrier in 1973. Additionally in 1994 two other people arrived at "The Citadel". They are General Kruse and Professor Bourman. Both men arrived from Earth's outer space colonies that existed at the time of the nuclear war and were therefore untouched by it. Both have become trapped in the future and develop agendas of their own revolving around Allison's plane as a means of escape back to their own time.
Major Allison and Triene over time, of course, fall in love. Markova in perfect Cold War theory become the leader of the mutated humans with the idea of setting up a perfect Communist State. She will release the mutants in a failed revolt and is killed. Another secondary plot line has General Kruse and Boreman attempt to get to Allison's aircraft. There's a struggle with General Kruse over obtaining the aircraft resulting in Triene being accidentally shot and killed. Allison take's her body to "The Supreme".
"The Supreme" shows Major Allison a secret tunnel that takes him safely to his aircraft. He takes off and returns to 1960 on the same day he left.
TWIST TIME:
After telling his superiors what he has seen of the future. The audience sees Major Allison now an extremely old man as a result of the time travel. Allison's superiors also discover that Markov, Bourman and Kruse are currently students and their future will be considered.
Robert Clarke did not want to direct this picture, because the stress of working on "The Hideous Sun Demon" had been more than he expected. So Clarke hired Edgar G. Ulmer the director of "The Man from Planet X" for the job. It was Ulmer's daughter who played Markova.
The film's primary backers came from Texas and their one stipulation was the feature had to be made in that State. Their reasoning still holds today. They could make it cheaper, because Texas had no Unions in the local Motion Picture and Television production companies.
The make-ups for the film were created by famed Universal Studio's make-up artist Jack Pierce. Pierce's career had fallen greatly since he created Boris Karloff as the Frankenstein Monster and Im-ho-tep, or Lon Chaney, Jr. as "The Wolfman". Jack Pierce's story can be found in my blog article at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2015/06/jack-p-pierce-man-who-created-monsters.html
Robert Clarke needed somebody to distribute "Beyond the Time Barrier" and approached James H. Nicholson of American International Pictures. Based solely on his teenage daughter's favorable reaction to the movie. Nicholson agreed to release the motion picture. MGM was promoting George Pal's "The Time Machine" in a large way and AIP used that publicity to the studio's advantage. Releasing "Beyond the Time Barrier" one month ahead of "The Time Machine" as a tale of future Earth.
Back to television for Clarke's second appearance on "Perry Mason" and his third on the Lloyd Bridges show "Sea Hunt". Along with another non-screen credited cameo in a Robert Mitchum/Jack Webb Air Force comedy movie "The Last Time I Saw Archie". This was followed by another feature film entitled "Terror of the Bloodhunters" in 1962.
The picture was from Jerry Warren who had made "The Incredible Petrified World". Robert Clarke played a Devil's Island Prisoner who escapes with the daughter of the Commandant and faces Head Hunters. Playing the daughter Marlene was Dorothy Haney. Apparently this is her entire film career. Warren had purchased the rights too and re-edited a Swedish Science Fiction picture for the bottom half of the double bill "Invasion of the Animal People".
In January 1965 ABC Television premiered the musical variety program "The King Family Show". It featured Alyce,her sisters, and other members of the family including husbands, children and grandchildren. Robert Clarke was a regular in comic skits and other non-singing bites, but the variety show only lasted one year. However, it would be revived from March through September 1969 featuring the younger generation "The King Cousins".
In the following photograph from "The King Family Show" Christmas Special. Robert Clarke is second from the left of the men wearing the red jackets.
For the next 16 years Robert Clarke guest starred on many television programs such as "Dragnet 1967", seven times, and Jack Webb's other series "Adam 12" for another five. Clarke also appeared on episodes of "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" and a forgotten television series called "Project UFO". It was about Government Investigators chasing down UFO sightings.
In 1981 old actors still looking for work ended up in another motion picture from Jerry Warren "Frankenstein Island".
The cast includes: Robert Clarke as Dr. Paul Hadley, Steve Brodie as Jocko, Cameron Mitchell as Clay Jason, Andrew Duggan as "The Colonel" and John Carradine is of course Dr. Frankenstein,
I love this character's name. Talk about covering all bases. Actress Katherine Victor played "Sheila Frankenstein von Helsing". One has to imagine how and when the two families united.
Victor who had appeared in Jerry Warren's "Teenage Zombies" and his English version of "Invasion of the Animal People". Would become an animation coordinator for Walt Disney Productions on the television series versions of such classics as "The Little Mermaid", "Aladdin" and :Hercules".
After the usual television program interlude. Robert Clarke appeared in a 1988, naturally, low budget turkey "Midnight Movie Madness". I'll do the low budget reviewer cop out and place a link to a great review by Sean Ledden, a member of my Facebook Page "Godzilla, King of the Monsters", on the website "The Monster Shack".
Robert Clarke plays Colonel Carlye and Ann Robinson plays Dr. Sylvia Van Buren. Remember George Pal's 1953 "War of the Worlds"? Robinson played the Minister's daughter Sylvia Van Buren. As the review mentions there's a throw away line from Robert Clarke about going "Beyond the Time Barrier" in the picture.
Here's your link to Sean's review:
http://www.monstershack.net/sp/index.php/midnight-movie-massacre-1988/
"Alienator" was a film that critic Leonard Maltin and the motion picture's director Fred Olen Ray both described as a "Semi-remake" of Robert Clarke's "The Astounding She Monster".
There is confusions IF "Alienator" ever played in an actual movie theaters, but it did appear on VHS tape in February 1990. The film starred, or featured an assortment of looking for any work actor types. Besides Robert Clarke were Jan Michael-Vincent, John Philip Law, Ross Hogan, P.J. Soles, Leo Gordon and Robert Quarry.
An Alien criminal escapes from the space ship and the ship's commander releases what is now called a "gynoid". At the time it was called the non-politically correct "fembot", to catch him. This takes place in the woods near a house full of teenagers.
So the "Semi-remake" is in actuality a house in the woods and a female alien. Otherwise nothing else seems to come from "The Astounding She Monster" in the script.
Fred Olsen Ray was back as producer, writer and director of 1990's "Haunting Fear". Which was very loosely based upon Edgar Allan Poe's "The Premature Burial". This picture went straight to video in August 1990 in the U.K, It wouldn't be until March 1991 before the picture showed up on video in the United States.
As the poster mentions Jan-Michael Vincent was back. Along with Vincent were Karen Black, Robert Clarke and also Robert Quarry. The star of this film was actually Brinke Stevens. Over her 166 film credits would be such classic titles as: "Teenage Exorcist", "Scream Queen Hot Tub", "Caesar and Otto's Paranormal Halloween", which is part of a series of films about the two title characters, and "It Came from Trafalgar".
On April 22, 2005 a great spoof of 1950's science fiction featuring many actors of the era "The Naked Monster" was released. Robert Clarke's character's name was Major Allison from "Beyond the Time Barrier". Other cameo appearances came from 1950's actors Kenneth Tobey, Lori Nelson, John Agar, Robert Cornthwaite, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne and Gloria Talbott.
Robert Clarke's wife Alyce had passed away in August 1996. Two months after the release of "The Naked Monster" on June 11, 2005 Robert Clarke passed away at his home in the Valley Village section of North Hollywood, California.
She does not speak, but makes sounds. The alien women accidentally kills Cutler's dog, but on purpose she kills the kidnappers. "The She Monster" is killed by the Geologist. Who throws a bottle containing chemicals from the Earth's atmosphere that cause her to disintegrate. Don't even think of asking why walking in the Earth's atmosphere didn't already kill her.
A note is found in perfect English inside the necklace the alien women has been wearing. It says she is here to help the planet with its problems. Cutler speculates about how her people will think of the human race now
The next role for Robert Clarke is interesting if for no other reason than who was in it and who wrote this western. The title was "Outlaw Queen".
In the picture Clarke, on the left in the above photo, played John Andrews. In the middle is actress Andrea King, no relation to Alyce, but the female leads in the Peter Lorre horror mystery "The Beast With Five Fingers" and the Peter Graves Cold War thriller "Red Planet Mars". She plays the title character named Christina. The third person in the above still portrayed Rick Mason and is none other than Big Band Leader Harry James. The last interesting point to this long forgotten motion picture is that the story and screenplay were written by Pete La Rouche. Oh, the name Pete La Rouche was the nom de plume of one Edward D. Wood, Jr.
Into 1959 Robert Clarke appeared on single episodes of 14 television series such as "The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok", "Dragnet" for his fifth time since 1953, "Sky King" and "Mike Hammer". His motion picture work wasn't much better, becaue out of nine screen appearances only two had on screen credit.
However, all of this was followed by another Science Fiction feature entitled "The Incredible Petrified World" actually filmed, according to Robert Clarke, in March of 1957. The finished picture was first previewed in Burlington, North Carolina on November 18, 1959 two and a half years after it was filmed. The picture then sat on the shelf until April 1960 when it was released on a double bill with "Teenage Zombies" to only a few States. Later the same double bill would be released on August 30, 1961 in Los Angeles and to more States. It never played in all of the country. Such is the history of a very low budgeted "B" Science Fiction film.
To "B", pun there, fair to this feature. The poster was a thousand times better than what we saw on the screen and did it's job of getting viewers into a theater.
The story revolves around a new experimental diving bell. It's inventor Professor Millard Wyman, played by John Carradine, sends his crew of two men and two women to explore the ocean to depths previously never obtained.
The two men are Craig Randall portrayed by Robert Clarke and Paul Whitmore played by Allen Windsor. Whose name does not even appear on the poster. Windsor's career was a total of four appearances including one on television's "Leave It to Beaver" The two women crew members are Lauri Talbott played by Sheila Noolan. Whose name also does not appear on the poster. Noolan would have five total films to her credit. These included Roger Corman's "Bucket of Blood" and "Beast from Haunted Cave". Phyllis Coates, whose name appears after Carrdine's and above Clarke's, played Dale Marshall. At the time she actually filmed "The Incredible Petrified World" in 1957. Coates had been appearing in several short subjects with titles like "So You Want to Play the Piano" and films such as "Girl's In Prison" which starred Richard Denning. Also that year Phyllis Coates was in "I Was A Teenage Frankenstein" as Dr. Frankenstein's secretary. TV's Lois Lane became lunch for the Doctor's pet alligator.
Naturally something goes wrong and the bell ends up in "The Petrified World" of the title. Can you say "Colossal Cave" in Tucson, Arizona? The crew leave the diving bell in scuba gear after seeing lights and believe they are heading for the surface. Instead come up in a vast underground cavern with breathable air.There they find a giant lizard and a man who has been trapped for the last 14 years.
He explains the breathable air comes from an underwater Volcano. While this is all going on Professor Wyman and others are debating if a rescue mission should be attempted and how.
The following is from IMDb:
In the caves, Lauri gathers fresh water with a shell. The men returned to the bell to get more supplies. Dale is jealous of Lauri's relationship with Craig and the women bicker. The men make two dives for all their supplies, but Paul has trouble on the second dive. He has run out of compressed air. The rescue bell spots the duo and takes them on board. Jim Wyman helps Paul. The old man makes his play for Dale. He tells her he likes her much better than the others. When the old man, looking like Charles Manson, suggests killing the others, Dale is shocked and horrified. The old man admits to Dale that he killed the man they found as a skeleton. Dale screams as the old man paws her. An earthquake and rock fall from the volcano provides Lauri the chance to grab Dale and escape. The old man is killed by the rock fall. The women run back to the pool where they surfaced and find Craig knocked out by the rock fall. He revives and gives the women breathing devices and they dive into the water for the safety of the rescue bell. The volcano erupts.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053944/synopsis?ref_=ttpl_pl_syn
The above description sounds a lot more exciting than the actual picture. Also note the following still of John Carradine and the diving bell. With a crew of four how much "supplies" could it hold that required two trips? As apparently they were to be brought up to the surface possibly on the same day of the initial dive. Such is the fun and plot holes of 1950's Science Fiction that the audience ignored.
Two television appearances later and Robert Clarke made the "B" Science Fiction/Horror motion picture he is widely known for "The Hideous Sun Demon". The original story was written by Clarke and the feature film was also co-directed and co-produced by the actor.
"Even a man who is pure of heart and says his prayers by night. May become a Wolf when the Wolfbane blooms and the Moon is full and bright". Most fans of classic horror movies know these words written by Curt Siodmak for 1941's "The Wolfman". In "The Hideous Sun Demon" Robert Clarke flipped it with a man that becomes a Lizard in the Sun.
This feature is known by three titles, In the United States and Canada depending on where you saw the feature it was either:
The plot has Dr. Gilbert McKenna, Robert Clarke, experimenting with a new radioactive isotope and while working with it falls unconscious to the floor. The scientist is rushed to a local hospital and is examined by Dr. Stern, Robert Gerry. Stern is surprised to see no radiation burns on McKenna's body after such exposure. He next informs Gill's co-workers Ann Russell, Patricia Manning, and Dr. Frederick Buckell, Patrick Whyte, that he will keep him under observation.
After apparent recovery Dr. McKenna is taken to a solarium to receive the sun's healing rays. Bad idea! As with a man exposed to the full moon turning into a werewolf. Dr. Gilbert McKenna exposed to the sun's rays turns into a lizard creature.
It is determined that Dr. McKenna's exposure to the radioactive isotope has reverted him back to a prehuman evolutionary reptile state. A similar reversal plot devise was done to Michael Landon in 1957's "I Was A Teenage Werewolf", but by hypnotism and in the 1956 movie "The Werewolf" by a special serum designed to make human's survive an atomic bomb.
In "The Hideous Sun Demon" it is thought that as long as Gil stays out of the sun he will not change, but that means confinement to his home and going out only after dark. This starts effecting his state of mind. Enter Dr. Jacob Hoffman, actor Fred La Porta, who believes he can help Gil stop the transformation.
However,Gil is going "stir crazy" at home. This leaves his house and finds a bar were the piano player Trudy Osbourne, Nan Peterson, is having problems with a patron named George. George claims to have purchased her for the evening. A fight results between the two men and Gill McKenna knocks out George. We next see Trudy and Gill walking the beach together which ends with the two having sex and falling asleep. Gill wakes up on the beach in the sunlight and flees in panic. Being afraid he will become the Sun Demon and might harm Trudy as she asleeps. He just makes it to his house as the transformation begins.
The following night things get out of hand at the bar when George and his friends beat up Dr. McKeena, He had returned to apologize to Trudy for leaving her alone on the beach. The unconscious Gill wakes up in Trudy's apartment as George shows up the following morning and makes one big mistake. He forces McKeena out into the sunlight. The Sun Demon kills George in front of Trudy and flees.
Gill returns to his house to find Dr Hoffman, Dr. Bucknell and Ann waiting for him. After returning to his normal state he admits the murder to the other three.
A Police Officer shows up with an arrest warrant and McKenna, his mental state now unbalanced, flees in his car and hits a another officer. Gill is hiding out in a shack at the oil field. A little girl named Suzy discovers him and she goes home to get him some cookies. Don't ask! Her mother asks what's she doing and Suzy tells her. While her mother calls the police. Suzy slips out and goes to the shack with her cookies. Dr. Gill McKenna realizes the danger she will be in if he changes.
He takes the girl to safety, but has left the darkness of the shack and transforms. This leads to a confrontation with the police and his death.
As far as casting concerns the motion picture was a true "Family Affair". Initially the role of Trudy was to have been played by Robert Clarke's sister-in-law singer Marilyn King. Before shooting began she became pregnant and had to drop out of the role. However, Marilyn wrote and sang Nan Peterson's songs.
The little girl, Xandra Conkling, was actually the daughter of one of Clarke's wife's sisters. Pearl Diggs, who played the old women on the deck of the solarium, see above picture, was Robert Clarke's mother-in-law. The radio announcer heard in the picture was portrayed by the fiance of one of Clarke's sister-in-laws and a newsboy was his nephew.
The motion picture was filmed with rented equipment over a 12 weekend period and Clarke's film crew were made up of USC Film Students. The upfront money for the picture came from of all things "The Astounding She Monster". Robert Clarke had a contract for 10 percent of the gross and the film actually made money.
After the non-screen credited role of a reporter in the James Garner/Natalie Wood film "Cash McCall"in 1960. It was back to appearances on three television shows for the actor followed by another science fiction picture "Beyond the Time Barrier".
The film has an interesting take on the Cold War within a Science Fiction motion picture with a twist at the end. Unfortunately, as with many quickie made movies I watched back then. The budget, or lack of one gets in the way at times. Robert Clarke played Air Force Test Pilot Major William Allison,
He leaves the Air Force base on a routine test flight of a new experimental aircraft, but when he returns after the flight. Allison finds the base deserted and appearing ancient. In the distance is a futuristic looking city and he heads towards it for answers..
This future world contains both apparently normal looking humans and mutated humans, Whose goal is to take over the city Major Allison saw known as "The Citadel", but they have no leadership. Allison is at first imprisoned in a holding cell with some of these mutated humans, All of which are for some reason bald.
After a while Major Allison is taken before the leader of "The Citadel" called "The Supreme". Who along with "The Captain" are the only two people that can still hear and speak within "The Citadel". Everyone else has become mute, but "The Supreme's" daughter Triene, Darlene Tompkins, was also born telepathic.
After Triene reads his mind. Major Allison is released and told the year is now 2024 and that in 1971 a world wide plague was caused by Cosmic Rays being released from Nuclear Testing in the Atmosphere.The result is everyone, but Triene is sterile.
The Cold War aspect of the picture comes in the form Russian Air Force Captain Markova portrayed by Ardianne Ulmer billed as Ardianne Arden. She came through the Time Barrier in 1973. Additionally in 1994 two other people arrived at "The Citadel". They are General Kruse and Professor Bourman. Both men arrived from Earth's outer space colonies that existed at the time of the nuclear war and were therefore untouched by it. Both have become trapped in the future and develop agendas of their own revolving around Allison's plane as a means of escape back to their own time.
Major Allison and Triene over time, of course, fall in love. Markova in perfect Cold War theory become the leader of the mutated humans with the idea of setting up a perfect Communist State. She will release the mutants in a failed revolt and is killed. Another secondary plot line has General Kruse and Boreman attempt to get to Allison's aircraft. There's a struggle with General Kruse over obtaining the aircraft resulting in Triene being accidentally shot and killed. Allison take's her body to "The Supreme".
"The Supreme" shows Major Allison a secret tunnel that takes him safely to his aircraft. He takes off and returns to 1960 on the same day he left.
TWIST TIME:
After telling his superiors what he has seen of the future. The audience sees Major Allison now an extremely old man as a result of the time travel. Allison's superiors also discover that Markov, Bourman and Kruse are currently students and their future will be considered.
Robert Clarke did not want to direct this picture, because the stress of working on "The Hideous Sun Demon" had been more than he expected. So Clarke hired Edgar G. Ulmer the director of "The Man from Planet X" for the job. It was Ulmer's daughter who played Markova.
The film's primary backers came from Texas and their one stipulation was the feature had to be made in that State. Their reasoning still holds today. They could make it cheaper, because Texas had no Unions in the local Motion Picture and Television production companies.
The make-ups for the film were created by famed Universal Studio's make-up artist Jack Pierce. Pierce's career had fallen greatly since he created Boris Karloff as the Frankenstein Monster and Im-ho-tep, or Lon Chaney, Jr. as "The Wolfman". Jack Pierce's story can be found in my blog article at:
http://www.bewaretheblog.com/2015/06/jack-p-pierce-man-who-created-monsters.html
Robert Clarke needed somebody to distribute "Beyond the Time Barrier" and approached James H. Nicholson of American International Pictures. Based solely on his teenage daughter's favorable reaction to the movie. Nicholson agreed to release the motion picture. MGM was promoting George Pal's "The Time Machine" in a large way and AIP used that publicity to the studio's advantage. Releasing "Beyond the Time Barrier" one month ahead of "The Time Machine" as a tale of future Earth.
Back to television for Clarke's second appearance on "Perry Mason" and his third on the Lloyd Bridges show "Sea Hunt". Along with another non-screen credited cameo in a Robert Mitchum/Jack Webb Air Force comedy movie "The Last Time I Saw Archie". This was followed by another feature film entitled "Terror of the Bloodhunters" in 1962.
The picture was from Jerry Warren who had made "The Incredible Petrified World". Robert Clarke played a Devil's Island Prisoner who escapes with the daughter of the Commandant and faces Head Hunters. Playing the daughter Marlene was Dorothy Haney. Apparently this is her entire film career. Warren had purchased the rights too and re-edited a Swedish Science Fiction picture for the bottom half of the double bill "Invasion of the Animal People".
In January 1965 ABC Television premiered the musical variety program "The King Family Show". It featured Alyce,her sisters, and other members of the family including husbands, children and grandchildren. Robert Clarke was a regular in comic skits and other non-singing bites, but the variety show only lasted one year. However, it would be revived from March through September 1969 featuring the younger generation "The King Cousins".
In the following photograph from "The King Family Show" Christmas Special. Robert Clarke is second from the left of the men wearing the red jackets.
For the next 16 years Robert Clarke guest starred on many television programs such as "Dragnet 1967", seven times, and Jack Webb's other series "Adam 12" for another five. Clarke also appeared on episodes of "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" and a forgotten television series called "Project UFO". It was about Government Investigators chasing down UFO sightings.
In 1981 old actors still looking for work ended up in another motion picture from Jerry Warren "Frankenstein Island".
The cast includes: Robert Clarke as Dr. Paul Hadley, Steve Brodie as Jocko, Cameron Mitchell as Clay Jason, Andrew Duggan as "The Colonel" and John Carradine is of course Dr. Frankenstein,
I love this character's name. Talk about covering all bases. Actress Katherine Victor played "Sheila Frankenstein von Helsing". One has to imagine how and when the two families united.
Victor who had appeared in Jerry Warren's "Teenage Zombies" and his English version of "Invasion of the Animal People". Would become an animation coordinator for Walt Disney Productions on the television series versions of such classics as "The Little Mermaid", "Aladdin" and :Hercules".
After the usual television program interlude. Robert Clarke appeared in a 1988, naturally, low budget turkey "Midnight Movie Madness". I'll do the low budget reviewer cop out and place a link to a great review by Sean Ledden, a member of my Facebook Page "Godzilla, King of the Monsters", on the website "The Monster Shack".
Robert Clarke plays Colonel Carlye and Ann Robinson plays Dr. Sylvia Van Buren. Remember George Pal's 1953 "War of the Worlds"? Robinson played the Minister's daughter Sylvia Van Buren. As the review mentions there's a throw away line from Robert Clarke about going "Beyond the Time Barrier" in the picture.
Here's your link to Sean's review:
http://www.monstershack.net/sp/index.php/midnight-movie-massacre-1988/
"Alienator" was a film that critic Leonard Maltin and the motion picture's director Fred Olen Ray both described as a "Semi-remake" of Robert Clarke's "The Astounding She Monster".
There is confusions IF "Alienator" ever played in an actual movie theaters, but it did appear on VHS tape in February 1990. The film starred, or featured an assortment of looking for any work actor types. Besides Robert Clarke were Jan Michael-Vincent, John Philip Law, Ross Hogan, P.J. Soles, Leo Gordon and Robert Quarry.
An Alien criminal escapes from the space ship and the ship's commander releases what is now called a "gynoid". At the time it was called the non-politically correct "fembot", to catch him. This takes place in the woods near a house full of teenagers.
So the "Semi-remake" is in actuality a house in the woods and a female alien. Otherwise nothing else seems to come from "The Astounding She Monster" in the script.
Fred Olsen Ray was back as producer, writer and director of 1990's "Haunting Fear". Which was very loosely based upon Edgar Allan Poe's "The Premature Burial". This picture went straight to video in August 1990 in the U.K, It wouldn't be until March 1991 before the picture showed up on video in the United States.
As the poster mentions Jan-Michael Vincent was back. Along with Vincent were Karen Black, Robert Clarke and also Robert Quarry. The star of this film was actually Brinke Stevens. Over her 166 film credits would be such classic titles as: "Teenage Exorcist", "Scream Queen Hot Tub", "Caesar and Otto's Paranormal Halloween", which is part of a series of films about the two title characters, and "It Came from Trafalgar".
On April 22, 2005 a great spoof of 1950's science fiction featuring many actors of the era "The Naked Monster" was released. Robert Clarke's character's name was Major Allison from "Beyond the Time Barrier". Other cameo appearances came from 1950's actors Kenneth Tobey, Lori Nelson, John Agar, Robert Cornthwaite, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne and Gloria Talbott.
Robert Clarke's wife Alyce had passed away in August 1996. Two months after the release of "The Naked Monster" on June 11, 2005 Robert Clarke passed away at his home in the Valley Village section of North Hollywood, California.
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